Students enrolling in universities around the nation, or who are returning for the fall season, are finding three things in common: there are fewer class offerings, class sizes are larger, and it is costing more.

California leads the pack when it comes to these changes. At the community college level, the State Universities, and the University of California, the trend is clear.

The schools are short of cash. The reasons that are batted about center on the financial debacle brought on by Wall Street and the real estate industry. The hyper-inflated housing fantasy pushed the economy over the cliff.

The result is the staggering loss of the economic ability of the state to continue funding higher education at a pre-debacle rate.

With Governor Brown calling for more funds, via a tax increase, it remains unclear whether his, or any other, tax increase will pass in the November elections, in California or anywhere else in the nation.

What upper division students are very concerned about is how long it is taking to earn a degree. The four year path is steadily extending to more than four years.

The extra semester, or entire school year, comes with the added costs of extra time. The costs are not limited to simply paying the tuition, books, and fees that are required. Housing, food, and insurance are added to the tab. There is also a delay in getting into the job market, and the ability to start paying on those student loans.

The delay is costly. The amount of student debt related to a University degree can easily top $40,000. With the job market less than robust, recent graduates are finding it difficult to keep up with the payments on student loans.

With both political parties putting education, from Kindergarten through graduate degrees, in the spot light as a priority for the nation, not much is being done to actually fund the entire process.

Until the rhetoric turns into real policies to actually value education, as opposed to using it as a political slogan, students will likely continue to find a four year degree is five years long.